


anything for you

by whaticameherefor



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: But she doesn't really know it yet, Canon Compliant, F/M, Fluff, Juggie is a fool for love, Missing Scene, Pining Betty Cooper, Pining Jughead Jones, Pre-Relationship, Season 1 Missing Moment, and also Betty's Vixen uniform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-14
Updated: 2018-10-14
Packaged: 2019-08-02 06:57:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16300253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whaticameherefor/pseuds/whaticameherefor
Summary: Betty needs support for her River Vixen debut and Jughead Jones starts to let on that he'd do anything for Betty Cooper.A missing moment from 1x02 "A Touch of Evil."





	anything for you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [loonyBibliophile](https://archiveofourown.org/users/loonyBibliophile/gifts).



> Based on @loonybibliophile's headcanon that not only was Jughead at the game to support Betty, but she had specifically asked him to come. We're in season three and I still have lots of feelings and thoughts about these two crazy kids and the pre-relationship days so I jumped at the chance to write this. 
> 
> Thank you to my betas @redundantoxymorons and @Peyton_0727!
> 
> Please enjoy!

* * *

 

Betty stood at her locker, reviewing her assignments in her planner before stacking all the textbooks, folders, and notebooks she needed for the weekend when she saw a flash of black in her periphery. A quick glance confirmed her suspicions, and she hurriedly grabbed the last book she needed, threw everything in her backpack, and slammed her locker shut to run after her friend. She saw that he was approaching his own locker and in turn slowed her jog into a brisk walk.

 

“Hey Juggie!” she greeted, probably a little too enthusiastically, as he removed his headphones and turned toward her.

 

“Betty. To what do I owe the pleasure?” He grinned at her and she couldn’t help the sudden lurch in her stomach.  _ What the hell was that?  _ she thought.  _ It’s certainly...new. _ She shook it off and smiled back.

 

“How are you? I feel like we haven’t been able to catch up since I got back from my internship.”

 

“Oh, uh… ” he stumbled, seemingly surprised at her line of questioning. “School’s good, I guess.”

 

“It’s so great that we all have bio together, right?”

 

“Yeah,” he answered as he threw a textbook into his locker. “Little weird right now, though.”

 

She shifted awkwardly from side to side. “Archie told you?”

 

He winced slightly. “Yeah, he came looking for you at the diner the other night.”

 

“Oh.” Her voice was small.

 

“But I didn’t mean you guys,” he followed up quickly.

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah, Archie and I aren’t really on the friendliest of terms right now either.”

 

She sighed. “What is going on with him? It’s like… ”

 

“He’s a pod person?” Jug supplied helpfully and she couldn’t help the smile tugging at her lips.

 

“Exactly!” She bit her lip then, unsure of whether to broach the subject. “I know you guys hit sort of a rough patch before the summer.”

 

“Yeah.” He shoved a notebook into his messenger bag and shut his locker, giving her his full attention. “That and some other stuff. But I know you didn’t corner me in the middle of the hallway to talk about our feelings.”

 

She dipped her chin to her chest to gather some courage. This was silly. It was Jughead. Why was she so nervous? When she forced herself to look back up, his eyes were focused on her and she was suddenly aware that her shirt was riding up a little and that she had spinach for lunch and  _ God, _ she hoped she didn’t have any of it in her teeth and  _ Why the hell do I care so much about what I look like right now? Stop it.  _

 

“Caught me.”

 

He adjusted the strap on his bag and waited for her to continue, his lips quirked, grinning expectantly.

 

“I wanted to make sure you were coming to the game tonight.” She fixed a hopeful expression on her face as his contorted into one of uncertainty.

 

“I don’t know, Betts.”  _ Were those butterflies in her stomach just because he used an old nickname? _ “You’re not gonna be around to mock passersby with me anymore, River Vixen.”

 

She rolled her eyes and tried to fight the blush she felt creeping up her cheeks. “Come on, Juggie. I know it’s not exactly your scene, but we’ve always had fun. You should be there.” His expression was hard to read as she watched his Adam’s apple bob when he visibly swallowed. “Look, I’m mad at him too, but this isn’t the first fight you guys have had and I’m sure it won’t be the last. You’ll regret it in the long run if you let some silly disagreement get in the way of your friendship. I’m sure he wants your support too.”

 

“You know you don’t have to defend him all the time,” he challenged.

 

“I’m not.” As she said it, she knew it was true. She didn’t want him to miss the game because of Archie, she wanted him there for her. She just thought he’d respond better to her argument for their friend rather than herself. Maybe she needed to switch tactics. “I need you there.”

 

His expression softened and it looked like he was about to reach out to her. Instead, he leaned back against his locker, tilted his head to the side to keep his gaze fixed on her and groaned. “Not fair. Appealing to my sentimental side.”

 

She giggled. She actually giggled. Maybe she needed to go to the nurse to check her temperature because a fever was the only explanation for the way she was acting right now. She moved to stand alongside him and nudged his shoulder. “Whaddya say, Jug? For me?” 

 

He sighed dramatically and pushed himself from the wall of lockers. “Fine, I’ll be there.” 

 

She followed and clasped her hands together, beaming up at him. “Yay! It’s going to be great. I promise.”

 

He glared at her half-heartedly. “But you owe me.”

 

She nodded enthusiastically and looped her arms through his as they walked down the hallway toward the biology classroom. “Pop’s on me next time.”

 

“I’m getting a double cheeseburger.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“And extra fries.”

 

“Obviously.” She slowed to a stop in front of the classroom and pulled on his arm, turning him towards her. “Seriously, though. It means a lot that you’re coming, so thank you.”

 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Betty.” She was about to chastise him for joking when she saw the sincerity, clear as day, in his eyes. She wasn’t used to Jughead being this serious with her and she didn’t quite know what to make of it. Before she could think any more about it, their moment was interrupted.

 

“Betty!” She whipped around and braced herself for an incoming Kevin.

 

“I’ll see you in there.” Jughead extricated his arm from Betty’s and walked into the room, leaving Betty to field questions from Kevin. 

 

She told herself that Jughead definitely didn’t glance back at her as he took a seat at the front. And his eyes definitely didn’t follow her as she walked by him toward her table at the back. Nope, definitely not.

 

_ Right? _

 

***

 

**Betty:** _ Cheryl wanted to go over the routine for the 100th time but I’ll come find you as soon as I can!  _

 

**Jughead:** _ Wouldn’t want you to incur the wrath of dictator Blossom on my behalf. _

 

**Betty:** _ I’d always risk a lashing from our fearless leader for you ;) _

 

Jughead looked up from his messages, smiling shyly before he remembered himself. She was one of his best friends; one of his only friends, really. Of course she’d break away from the cheer lemmings to say hello to him. It didn’t mean anything. She was just joking around, he assured himself, it’s what they did. 

 

He needed to stop with this nonsense because Archie would come to his senses eventually. And where would that leave him? It wasn’t like Jughead had been waiting years for Archie to finally realize how  _ amazing _ Betty was. How smart, how funny, how kind, how beautiful… 

 

_ Stop it, Jughead. _

 

He knew that Betty had been harboring feelings for their mutual best friend for a while, you’d have to be Archie level oblivious to miss that. He also knew that Betty held a special place in Archie’s heart, but he hadn’t quite moved her from friend to  _ more than _ just yet. But it was just a matter of time. He knew all of this and he was resigned to his fate. 

 

What he hadn’t accounted for was that Betty would finally confess her feelings for Archie and be subsequently rejected. He was not expecting that at all.

 

He was expecting her confession to jolt Archie into action, for him to finally start thinking of Betty the way she wanted him to. But it didn’t and he had a sinking suspicion it was all do to with a cradle-robbing music teacher. That “relationship” was doomed from the start and once she used him and spat him out, he was sure Archie would come crawling back to Betty, apologize for being a grade A idiot, and undoubtedly profess his love for her so they could live happily ever after. 

 

It was inevitable. The sun would rise every morning, the tide changed twice a day, and one day Betty and Archie would get together. Definitely not today, maybe not tomorrow, but he was sure of it. Archie would get the girl, Betty would get her happy ending, and Jughead would be there to watch it all unfold. 

 

As if on cue, Archie jogged up to him to spill his guts and clear his conscience. With the promise of burgers from another one of his friends—he should really learn to ask for something else next time—Archie ran back out to the field, with significantly more pep in his step. 

 

With one friendship righted, he focused on fostering another and took his phone out to send another text. 

 

 **Jughead:** _I’ll be by concessions if you can break away._

 

**Betty:** _ Like you’d be anywhere else :) _

 

He tried to suppress the smile bursting through, but after a quick glance around, he let it grow. At the food stand, he loaded up on fries, a hotdog, some candy, and a soda. He was debating getting popcorn too when a tap on the shoulder interrupted his thoughts. 

 

“I really don’t know where you put it all.”

 

Jughead whirled around at the sound of Betty’s voice and it took all of his strength to hold onto his food.

 

Sure, he’d thought about it once or twice (okay, definitely more than that) since she told him she finally made the squad. What she’d look like in a cheerleading uniform. He wasn’t proud to say that some of those thoughts had maybe been a bit… untoward. But he was a teenage boy with sufficiently raging hormones who, for the most part, was able to keep them in check. So, one lonely night in the projection booth at the Twilight, he let himself indulge his baser instincts and allowed his mind to wander. He hated himself just a little bit afterward, but he told himself there was no harm in it because there was no way in any universe his dreams would ever become reality. 

 

But now, with his fantasies made flesh, he was having a hard time reigning those thoughts in. He gulped down his soda to gain some time to compose himself. 

 

“Betty,” he started, sure his nerves were written all over his face. “You look…” She was staring up at him expectantly with those bright green eyes, and a smile that made his knees weak. “Great. Um, you look really good.”

 

“Thanks, Juggie!” Her hands fell to the hem of her skirt and lifted it up a bit.

 

“Go on, give us a twirl,” he joked, eyes full of mirth. She laughed as she spun around once and lifted her skirt again in a curtsy.

 

_ God, she was cute. _

 

“Looks like you have your hands full,” she said, reaching her hands out. “Here, let me help.” She took the fries and candy and they started back toward the bleachers.

 

“How long do you have before you need to shake your pom poms?” Jughead asked before taking a bite out of the hotdog. 

 

“Just a few minutes.”

 

“Are you ready for your big debut?” He took another bite and attempted to keep his mind on the conversation, already aware his thoughts were drifting at the sight of her creamy white thighs in the short cheerleading skirt. 

 

She tucked her chin to her chest before answering. “I don’t know. I’m so nervous. What if I screw up all the moves? Cheryl will kill me.”

 

“Aw come on, Betts. I know you’re gonna be great.” Jughead finished the last bite of his hotdog and shoved the wrapper in his pocket.

 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jug. And thank you again for coming. I really needed to see a friendly face in the crowd tonight.” 

 

“Of course,” The silence that descended on them felt heavy. He was sure she was expecting him to continue but he didn’t think he could without saying something stupid like he’d do anything for her, all she had to do was ask. He cleared his throat and gave himself a mini internal pep talk before changing the subject. “Archie came to find me before.”

 

“He did?” Her nose scrunched up and he had never been so annoyed that he couldn’t tell exactly what she was thinking. 

 

“Yeah, I guess we’re kinda on the mend. I don’t know, he says he’s gonna make it up to me, so we’ll see.”

 

“That’s great.” She cast her eyes down, deep in thought.

 

“Hey,” he reached out to take the fries and candy from her hands and set them and his drink on the bleachers behind him. “If you want, I can still be pissed at him for you. I know you’d do the same for me.”

 

His hand seemed to lift up on its own volition and he wound a finger around her ponytail, tugging gently. He couldn’t help but grin as she rolled her eyes and pushed his shoulder lightly. 

 

“It’s okay, you don’t have to do that. I’m–” She trapped her lip and took a breath. “–I’m starting to realize there’s more out there than Archie Andrews.”

 

His stomach needed to calm down with all the somersaults it was doing. “That’s good.” 

 

She nodded. “Yeah, it’s about time, I think.”

 

“Betty!” They both turned at her name to see Ginger Lopez walking briskly toward them. “Come on, Cheryl’s having a fit, she wants everyone out there, like five minutes ago.”

 

“I’m right behind you,” Betty said sweetly as Ginger shot Jughead a withering look before jogging out to the field. 

 

Before he knew what was happening, Betty wrapped herself around Jughead, squeezing tightly. “Thanks, Juggie. I’ll talk to you later?”

 

“Yeah.” He surprised himself when his hands came up and held her close in the embrace before he forced himself to separate from her. “Knock ‘em dead, Cooper.”

 

She took off toward the stage in the center of the field and he tried not to think about the fact that she glanced back at him before setting of to join the other Vixens. Jughead watched as she ran into Archie and caressed the bruise on his face, shoving the jealousy that had started bubbling up back down. He had no right to be jealous. Betty wasn’t his. She would never be his.

 

He slumped down into a seat and picked up his food, shoving fries in his mouth to distract himself from the anger and frustration surging inside him, but most of all to distract himself from the feeling of Betty’s body against his own.

 

Yeah, tonight was going to be a long night.

 

***

 

She was having the best night. 

 

She nailed the routine. She and Veronica had made up and Betty could actually see herself becoming best friends with her if all went well. And, as fate would have it, Archie and Jughead wound up at Pop’s too, so it only made sense for the boys to join them.

 

It was a lot easier than she expected it to be — hanging out with Archie and Veronica after everything that had happened. She thought it might have something to do with Jughead sitting across from her, making her smile and laugh the entire time. She didn’t really want to think too much about that fact, or that sometimes she’d catch him staring at her for just a beat too long. Because if she did, she’d have to admit to herself that she was doing the very same thing.

 

***

 

At the end of the night, Jughead watched Betty’s reaction as Archie offered to walk Veronica home. To her credit, Veronica only agreed after a barely noticeable nod from the blonde and to his great relief, Betty genuinely didn’t seem to be bothered by it. 

 

Jughead and Betty set off wordlessly toward her house, an unfamiliar tension in the air. However, soon after they began their stroll, he broke the silence and asked about her summer and they took the time to catch up on each other’s breaks. 

 

Betty seemed surprised that her internship stories went over better with him than Archie. And he was grateful that she didn’t pry when he only offered up vague details about his mom, dad, and Jellybean. He couldn’t seem to stop himself from talking about his novel though, and Betty kept asking follow up questions, so he thought she was actually interested and he kept going, conversation flowing freely and easily. 

 

***

 

With each block closer they walked toward Elm Street, Betty could feel her pace slow, not wanting their time together to end. It was strange and new, this feeling. She tried telling herself it was just how one felt seeing an old friend again after an extended absence. That Jughead’s presence was calming and comforting after a turbulent few days. But then his arm would brush up against hers and what she felt was anything but calm.

 

As much as she tried to delay their arrival, they eventually reached the front of her house. She dug around in her bag for her keys and tried to think of something that would prolong the conversation. But when she looked up from her search, she saw the curtain in the window quickly pull back and sighed at the intrusion.

 

“Ugh, my mom’s not so subtly trying to spy on us. I better get inside before she does something crazy.”

 

“Right.” He cleared his throat and shoved his hands in his pockets, his lips twitching up into a reluctant smile. “Before you go, I just wanted to tell you…” Betty’s heart started racing.  _ What was he going to say? Why am I so nervous? What is going on with me right now? “ _ You were really great tonight, Betty. I’m glad you made me come.”

 

She bit her lip and looked up at his face. Her gaze bounced from his piercing blue eyes to his soft, pouty lips and suddenly, realization dawned. She didn’t know how or why or even when, but somehow, someway she had started to think about Jughead as more than just one of her oldest friends. She was finally free from her crush on Archie just to find herself smack dab in the midst of another unrequited pining situation.  _ Why do I keep doing this to myself? _

 

She closed the distance between them, throwing her arms around him to pull him close. “Thank you for coming,” she whispered into his ear. She could have sworn she felt his whole body tense up and shiver so she swiftly pulled back, not trusting herself not to do something stupid.

 

“Good night, Betty.”

 

“Night, Juggie.”

 

Betty backed up a few paces before she reluctantly turned around to unlock the door and slip inside her house. She greeted her mother, who was seated at the dining room table, laptop open in front of her, and quickly made her way to the stairs. 

 

As she climbed the steps, she thought back to the terrible events that had befallen their town and was struck with an overwhelming desire to find the truth. Her mind immediately jumped to Jughead and the novel he was writing. Her phone was in her hand, fingers flying over the keyboard the instant the idea came to fruition.

 

***

 

Jughead had only just turned the corner at the end of the street when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He dug it out and turned around toward the house he had just left at the sight of Betty’s name on the screen.

 

 **Betty:** _Hey, would you meet me in the old Blue and Gold classroom Monday before school? I need to ask you something._

 

**Jughead:** _ I literally just saw you, you couldn’t have asked me then? _

 

**Betty: *** _ eyeroll emjoi* I’m going for a whole thing, Jug. _

 

**Jughead:** _ And you say I’m dramatic. _

 

**Betty:** _ I’m ignoring that comment. So, will you be there? _

 

Jughead typed out his response and sent it without a second thought.

 

**Jughead:** _ Anything for you, Betts. _

  
  



End file.
